Woman Arrested in Viral San Francisco Restaurant Altercation Won’t Face Charges

The woman at the center of a viral confrontation outside a San Francisco restaurant is not expected to face criminal charges, even as the incident ignited widespread outrage online.

The altercation unfolded at Hazie’s in Hayes Valley in December and quickly spread across social media, triggering an arrest, job fallout, and fresh scrutiny of what happens when a chaotic moment turns into an internet spectacle.

The incident occurred Saturday, Dec. 13, when a customer later identified as Shireen Afkari began arguing with restaurant staff while filming with her phone, according to earlier reporting. The confrontation later moved outside the restaurant and also involved her apparent boyfriend.

Now, officials say the case is unlikely to move forward in court. According to SFGATE, the San Francisco Police Department confirmed that public intoxication was the only arrest charge and that the matter was not referred for prosecution.

A spokesperson for the department explained that cases involving only public intoxication typically aren’t sent to the district attorney for review. “For arrests with the singular charge of public intoxication there is no protocol to refer these cases to the District Attorney,” police spokesperson Allison Maxie said, per SFGATE, adding, “The subject was arrested solely for public intoxication.”

Afkari was later fired from her job at Strava, which publicly addressed the incident in a statement shared in mid-December. “We don’t condone violence of any kind and this does not reflect the standards we expect of our team,” the company said, adding it had “made the decision to end the individual’s employment.”

But the consequences weren’t limited to Afkari. Hazie’s also fired bartender Miguel Marchese, who was involved in the confrontation, after the restaurant’s owner allegedly told him he was an insurance liability for tripping the woman, according to SFGATE.

Marchese told the outlet he was asked to sign a severance agreement that would have paid him $5,000, but he declined.